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Last week, Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph University courageously took the floor for her first college game, refusing to let an inoperable brain tumor keep her from achieving her dream – and WNBA stars Elena Delle Donne and Tamika Catchings were on hand to lend their support.

Mystics-Fever Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLDPosted Aug 07 2014 11:37AM

As the Washington Mystics hope to continue their push toward a second straight playoff appearance, the Indiana Fever look to tie them for second place in the Eastern Conference and begin a turnaround.

The visiting Mystics will try for their eighth victory in 10 games Friday night when they attempt to send the inconsistent Fever to their seventh defeat in 10 contests.

Following a 6-1 stretch in July, Washington (14-15) dropped consecutive contests at New York and Chicago before getting back on track with a convincing 79-46 win over the Liberty on Tuesday.

The Mystics went on a 29-6 first-half run, led 37-22 at the break and outscored New York 27-13 in the third quarter.

"Actually got to relax for a fourth quarter. Obviously a great win," said coach Mike Thibault, who guided the club to its first playoff appearance in three years upon taking over in 2013. "We played well at both ends."

Ivory Latta led four starters in double figures with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including four 3-pointers. The guard has averaged 16.5 points - 4.1 above her season mark - in six games since playing in her second straight All-Star game on July 19.

Latta, however, has struggled in this year's three meetings with Indiana (13-16), totaling 34 points while missing 19 of 26 shots.

Washington won 79-63 in Indianapolis on May 23 but dropped the next two matchups in the nation's capital by a total of six points.

Now the Mystics look to take the series finale while holding on to their slim edge over Indiana and Chicago for second place.

Washington holds opponents to a conference-best 40.9 percent from the field and is facing an Indiana team which is one of the league's worst shooting teams at 41.8 percent.

The Fever shot 36.9 percent despite hitting 7 of 14 from 3-point range in Tuesday's 66-64 home loss to Minnesota. They nearly ended the defending champion's nine-game win streak before Seimone Augustus scored off a rebound as time expired.

"It's unfortunate we didn't do something (against Minnesota) that really would have given us some momentum," coach Lin Dunn told the team's official website.

Erlana Larkins added 13 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double. She's averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 boards in the three meetings with Washington.

The Fever have gone 5-7 since forward Tamika Catchings returned from injury. The nine-time All-Star, who has averaged 14.8 points in 12 games, scored 12 on 5-of-12 shooting Tuesday after missing all 10 of her field-goal attempts Saturday.

Indiana, which hasn't missed the postseason since 2004, has a half-game lead on New York for the East's final playoff spot.

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Vaughn helps Mystics beat Fever 74-61

Posted Aug 08 2014 11:18PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Washington Mystics have found their way back to a .500 record and gained a stronger hold on second place in the Eastern Conference.

Kia Vaughn scored 22 points and Ivory Latta added 14 for the Mystics to help them beat Indiana 74-61 on Friday night.

''(The Fever) play great defense. I just took what was given. I just went strong and aggressive, my teammates found me and I just made shots,''Vaughn said. ''We're just a great team. We pass well and shoot the ball well and we are getting used to each other more and more as the season goes on.''

Washington (15-15) moved 1 1-2 games in front of New York in the tight Eastern Conference race. Indiana (13-17) fell into a tie for fourth with Chicago for the final playoff spot in the east.

It was Indiana's 17th loss of this season, one that came in front of one of their largest home crowds this year. The Fever, honoring Breast Cancer awareness and breast cancer survivors in attendance at Friday's game, donned all pink uniforms.

Washington and Indiana went back and forth for much of the first half trading leads. The Mystics led by two points at the end of the first quarter, but that's as close as the gap would close for the Fever. The Mystics closed out the second quarter on a 13-2 run to take control and led by as many as 26 in the second half.

Shavonte Zellous scored 13 points and Tamika Catchings added 11 to lead the Fever, who lost four of their last five regular season meetings with Washington. Catchings expressed her frustrations after the game.

''It's just really disappointing; all around everybody is really disappointed. You think you're ready and you go out and, you know it's just frustrating. I feel like we're underachieving right now,'' she said. ''For the most part, I felt like we were trying. It wasn't like we just rolled over. I think really it was turnovers and missed assignments. We've been known for our defensive tenacity and during periods of times we had it but when our energy is down it shows more on defense. We just got to do better.''

Copyright 2014 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited